


You're my lucky star

by wavydanrises



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Paper stars, Teacher Phil, but not main characters, librarian dan, lucky stars, mostly - Freeform, there's a sad bit at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 10:51:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12011178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wavydanrises/pseuds/wavydanrises
Summary: Dan sees the same person at the bus stop every day when he gets home from work. One day, he starts to give Dan lucky stars when he's not feeling great





	You're my lucky star

There was always a man at the bus station. There were other people as well, of course, but Dan had noticed how this man in particular was there every evening at the same time. Every time Dan arrived, he was there. Most of the time, he was the first one to get in the bus and sat at the front, always busy with sketching, reading, or writing something. Other times, more rarely, he sat at the back and didn’t do anything but look out the window. Dan was always sad to see him like this, for a reason he couldn’t really understand. He just liked it better when Mystery Guy looked up at him when he walked by, and smiled.

* * *

Dan was tired. This had been a long day, and he still had some work to do once he got home. He really just wanted to sit on the couch and play Skyrim for 5 hours instead. His mood only got worse when he saw that Mystery Guy wasn’t there. It had been the moment of his days he was looking forward to, lately. Just some kind of constant he could rely on. It was stupid, really. He didn’t even know him. It shouldn’t affect him that much.

He sat down and put on his headphones, Radiohead playing loud. He saw something from the corner of his eye and looked up to see Mystery Guy take a seat a little bit further. He shot him a grin, and the ghost of a smile lifted up the corners of Dan’s mouth for a second before he looked down again. He counted the stops in his head, he really could do without missing his. 

Two stops before it was time for him to get off of the bus, a hand appeared in front of him, holding a paper star carefully, as if it was going to break if it was held a little too tight. Dan looked up at the person in front of him, and was surprised to see Mystery Guy smile at him and say something as he gave him the star. Dan couldn’t make up what he said, his voice covered by the music still playing in his headphones, and he didn’t have time to ask him before he walked away and got down in the street. When the bus started again, Dan was still looking at the door.

The pink star was so tiny in Dan’s hand, he felt like he was going to drop it at any moment during his walk home. And, for some reason, he didn’t want to. He opened his door and gently dropped the star on his desk.

Later that night, just when he was about to sleep, Dan thought about the star again, and the words he was told. In the state of semi-consciousness where he was, he could only form two of the words that were said. “Lucky star”.

* * *

It happened a few other times. Every time Dan was in a bad mood or thinking too much about something, Star Dude would give him a star before stepping off the bus. Dan had decided Star Dude fit him better than Mystery Guy. There was a small pile of paper stars slowly growing on his desk, he had lost count of how many there were. 

Dan was running late to catch his bus. Not that it wasn't a regular thing, but he usually always managed to catch him just a second before it was too late. Today didn't seem to be one of those days. He could've almost been on time it the rain wasn't pouring down, threatening to make him slip with every step.

When he finally made it to the stop, the bus was just leaving. Dan swore, bringing up a hand to push back his hair. His eyes fell on the back window of the bus and on Star Dude who was sat there and looking outside. The look on his face was so sad it broke Dan's heart.

He called a friend who lived nearby to ask if she could give him a ride home, the next bus wouldn't be there before a while and he was soaked and cold. He just wanted to get home. 

* * *

The rain hadn’t stopped. Dan had thought of bringing an umbrella this time, but it wasn’t very effective. His hair was dripping on his face again, and he pushed back his fringe for the tenth time today. That was starting to get annoying. He was on time for once, and arrived at the stop just as the bus opened its doors. He noticed that Star Dude was the first one to get in, as usual. And he looked just as sad as he did the day before. Dan was determined to change that. He stepped inside and walked up to him.

“Can I?” Dan asked.

The other man turned his head to look at him, and Dan could see the surprise on his face when he recognized him.

“Yes, sure,” he said.

“Thanks,” Dan smiled, sitting next to him.

The bus started, and Dan fiddled with the hem of his jacket for a while, eyes fixed on his hands.

“Are you, uh, are you alright?” he blurted out.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Star Dude looking at him.

“Why do you ask?”

There was no malice in the question, only genuine curiosity. Dan looked up and hold his gaze.

“You look sad. You looked sad yesterday already. It's not really your style, I guess.”

“Well, it’s nice of you to worry about a stranger's day,” he smiled.

“That doesn't count,” Dan countered. “You're not really a stranger. I’ve seen you here almost every day for what, 6 months? More? That makes us acquaintances, at least.” Star Dude chuckled at that. “And you can talk, you’re the one who started giving me lucky stars when I wasn’t feeling great. How does that work, by the way? Do you just carry a bunch of them in your pockets?”

He laughed quietly again.

“No, I just make them here. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I’ve had time to train,” he added softly, sadness washing over his face.

“Alright well, maybe you can help me then? I swear I’ve looked up tutorials and all, but I still don’t get it.”

The hint of a smile appeared on Star Dude’s lips.

“Maybe next time, that’s my stop. See you tomorrow, I guess?”

“Same place, same time,” Dan confirmed.

Star Dude smiled a little more and started to walk away. He paused at the door.

“I’m Phil, by the way.”

* * *

Phil was there the next day, not looking as grim as before. Once again, Dan got on the bus after him. 

“I'm Dan,” he said when he was next to him. “You didn't let me say it yesterday.”

Phil looked up and smiled.

“You asked me to help, right? I'm making it my personal responsibility to do so in the fifteen minutes we have here. Come on,” he pulled a folder from his bag and opened it, showing a bunch of paper strips of different colours. “Pick one?”

“Why do you have so many paper strips just in your bag? That's odd,” Dan commented as he picked up a blue one. 

“I'm a teacher in year 3, I've been making paper stars with them for a while now,” he laughed. “I don’t really have a choice other than carrying a bunch of them all the time.”

Dan nodded. “Alright, so how does it work?”

They spent the following ten minutes or so trying to get Dan to successfully form a proper star. After a couple attempts, he found himself holding one, almost as good as the ones Phil made.

“Hey, see? I told you you’d get it in time. And awesome timing, my stop is just there. See you tomorrow?” Phil smiled as he stood up.

“Wait!” Dan grabbed his sleeve just before he turned around. “You look like you could use one,” he added, offering him the blue star in the palm of his hand.

Phil looked at him with a puzzled expression for a few seconds before carefully  taking it.

“Thank you,” he smiled and started to walk away. “I do,” he added more quietly just before stepping in the street.

* * *

Mia waved at Dan excitedly from behind her teacher when she saw him waiting outside. He walked up to them.

“Uncle Dan!” Mia called out with a big grin.

He smiled at her teacher. “Hi, I’m Mia’s uncle. Her mum said she’d call you, there was an emergency at work and she couldn’t leave early. I’m Dan, her brother.”

“Yes, she did warn me. And I’ve seen you here enough times to know you’re her uncle,” she said. “Alright Mia, you can go. See you tomorrow!”

“Bye!” Mia said, running towards Dan. “Where are we going?”

“What would you say about some ice cream before going home?”

“Yes! I want ice cream!” she jumped up.

Dan laughed. “That’s what I thought.” 

He noticed Phil standing a bit further, talking to some parents. They had talked a bit more every day on the bus, Dan complaining about still having rude customers when working at a library, and Phil telling him funny anecdotes. 

One of the men he was talking to nodded seriously and put a hand on his shoulder for a second or so.

“Can you wait a minute before we go? I need to give something to a friend,”Dan said.

“Alright. What are you doing?” she asked as he pulled out a strip of paper he had forgotten in his bag and started folding it. “Ooooh, pretty star! Can I give it to your friend? Please? Please please please?”

“You don’t even know who it is, Mia,” he smiled.

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds. “If I guess who it is, then can I give the star?” 

“Sure, why not.”

She looked at the people around them.

“I know! It’s the man with the black hair and the shirt with the dogs on them!”

Dan’s eyes widened slightly. “How the f… fluff do you know that?”

“I saw you looking at him earlier,” she shrugged. “So, you said I could go, I need the star!”

Dan shook his head. “Alright, but don’t go too far afterwards, yeah? And then we’ll go get ice cream. Deal?”

“Deal!”

She took the paper star from his hand and happily made her way over to Phil. Dan took a few steps forwards to keep an eye on her, and watched as she went in front of him and offered him the star. He saw Phil frown in confusion, and talk to Mia for a couple minutes. She nodded and he looked up, watching through the people there until his eyes met Dan’s. Dan waved a little and smiled, and Phil laughed. He couldn’t hear it, of course, but he remembered well enough how his laugh sounded. Phil looked back at Mia, and probably told her she could go back to him because she ran towards him.

“He said thank you! He looks nice,” she commented.

“Yeah, he is.” He ruffled her hair. “Time for ice cream?”

“Finally,” she stuck her tongue out and started walking.

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to go and give him the star,” Dan protested, only making her laugh.

* * *

“Mind if I sit down?”

Dan looked up, and smiled when he saw Phil.

“Knock yourself out,” he said. “Didn’t expect you to be taking the bus that late, if I’m honest.”

Phil shrugged. “Didn’t expect you there either. Long day?”

“You can say that,” Dan laughed. “I love my niece Mia, don’t get me wrong, but she has way more energy than me. You look tired, though.” 

Phil rested his head against the seat. “Long day here too. I appreciated the star, by the way,” he smiled a little. “Wasn’t expecting it, but thank you.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dan offered.

The bus was almost empty, apart from an elder couple at the front, and it was stuck in traffic. Dan briefly wondered why there was traffic at 9pm anyway, before Phil answered.

“The reason I started making lucky stars with the kids was, well, not exactly a fun one. One of my students, Lily, got sick at the beginning of the year. Leukemia. I couldn’t not tell the others that something was wrong. Kids are really fucking smart, you know.” 

His laugh was a bit wavering, and all Dan wanted was to comfort him, but he didn’t know how. So he just listened.

“So, I told them that Lily was sick. But I couldn’t just say that without something to help them deal with it, right? That’s kind of my job. So I said that every day, before starting the class, we would all make a lucky star for her, and I’d hang them up on the ceiling during lunch break. Her parents called me, about a month ago. Just when you asked me how the stars worked, actually. She didn’t- She didn’t make it.”

A tear rolled on his cheek and Dan gave up.

“Alright, come over here.”

He opened his arms and wrapped them around Phil’s back when he put his head on his shoulder. That was quite an awkward hug, but maybe that was all they both needed at this moment. They kept silent for a few moments, the bus waiting at a red light.

“Why did you give me one? The first time, I mean,” Dan asked suddenly.

“I don’t know, you just looked like you needed something to cheer you up. And I thought, well, they worked well enough with kids, right? There was no reason for it to be different for you. Actually, there were a ton of reasons why it would’ve been different, but I just didn’t think about it.”

“Well, it worked so, you weren’t wrong.”

“I haven’t had the heart to tell the other kids yet,” Phil mumbled. “They really hoped the stars would help, but it was all useless in the end. I’m not sure how they’ll take it.”

“Hey.” Dan moved away, making Phil look up, but he kept a hand on his shoulder. “The stars weren’t useless at all. You’ve helped them, all of them, to deal with something that isn’t easy to explain to a group of 7 years old. You handled this well, alright? Lots of people wouldn’t have done nearly as good in this situation.”

Phil put his hand over Dan’s and smiled a little.

“Thank you.”

He chuckled, wiping away the tears on his face.

“What are you laughing about?” Dan asked.

“I just thought of something really cheesy,” Phil was smiling again.

“You’ll have to be more specific there.”

“I think you’re my lucky star.”

Dan laughed and brought Phil closer for another hug.

“I guess I could get used to that.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you all for reading!


End file.
